Basic file automation.

[slizgi]

Hey,

I have many .png, that I would like to merge in one .pdf. How shocked I was that none of affinity app has anything like that Or I do not know how to do it .

We really need something like load files as layers (Photo), or artbords (Designer) or pages (Publisher). And yes I know we have the Place function, what is great, but why there is no place all? I suppose to click 300 something times to place 300 png as 300 layers... I mean, come on.

Please help, if you know how to make it fast or consider adding this (in my opinion) basic functionality.
Best Regards!
Lukas

[Old Bruce]

If all your PNG files are in one folder you can select all of them by holding down the shift key when you use the place command, they will be placed one after the other with your clicks with the place cursor. If you have Picture Frames on your document you can place them into the picture frames by clicking in the frames.

[slizgi]

I know, still is 300 clicks in one case and similar amount in the other cases.

[Old Bruce]

With Publisher there is the Data Merge Tool, you could make a simple CSV file with the location of the PNGs and merge them in a Publisher Document.

[R C-R]

4 hours ago, slizgi said:

but why there is no place all?

How would a one-click "Place All" feature decide where to place each image? All on top of each other, in a single long row or single tall column, something else? What if the placed items are not all the same size or maybe a mix of single images & multi-layer items like other Affinity documents?

[slizgi]

3 hours ago, R C-R said:

How would a one-click "Place All" feature decide where to place each image? All on top of each other, in a single long row or single tall column, something else? What if the placed items are not all the same size or maybe a mix of single images & multi-layer items like other Affinity documents?

Well, yea but at last it would work to load all images as layers, without clicking X times or making CSV file .
I'm far from  saying it is a perfect solution. Perfect will be load something as layers, pages, artbards etc.

Place all in photo should
- add each element in a new layer,
- if is smaller than layer - add to new layer and center it in X and Y
- if it is bigger add it as embedded file (or how it is called - the smart object solution)
- if it is file with more layers - also as embedded,

[R C-R]

10 minutes ago, slizgi said:

- if is smaller than layer - add to new layer and center it in X and Y

I assume you mean smaller than the dimensions of the document -- new layers could be larger than those already placed, so until all are placed there is no obvious way to know what the largest one might be. But this would also need to work for documents with multiple artboards or pages, so I do not think there is any straightforward way to implement this that would end up being any less work than placing the elements one at a time.

[loukash]

6 minutes ago, slizgi said:

to load all images as layers, without clicking X times or making CSV file

On Mac:

1. create a blank document, canvas size doesn't matter
2. select all image files in Finder and drop them onto the Photo canvas
3. Document > Unclip Canvas – to adjust the document canvas if too small

Voilà.

Doesn't work when dropping folders full of files, but works of course with search results or smart folder content.

15 minutes ago, slizgi said:

center it in X and Y

1. Select > Select All Layers
2. toolbar > Alignment button
3. Align horizontally > To: Spread & Align vertically > To: Spread

18 minutes ago, slizgi said:

if it is bigger add it as embedded file (or how it is called - the smart object solution)

All layers will be added as type "Image" which is the equivalent of Schmadobe's schmart objects.
In other words, unless a layer is of type "Pixel", everything in Affinity is smart. (Well, mostly…)

And as usual, if everything else fails, as the very last resort before smashing one's computer to pieces, it is being recommended by some individuals to consult the manual. Go figure…

[R C-R]

6 minutes ago, loukash said:

2. select all image files in Finder and drop them onto the Photo canvas

The OP wants something that works in all 3 Affinity apps, which means there could be a single canvas or multiple artboards or pages in the document. I'm not sure it would be particularly useful if everything ended up on a single page or artboard ....

[loukash]

3 minutes ago, R C-R said:

I'm not sure it would be particularly useful if everything ended up on a single page or artboard ....

The question was how "to load all images as layers".
This is the workflow you can do with Affinity, now.
Works in all three apps.

If someone needs true automation now to get a big job done, get Schmotofopp.
It really is that simple.™

On Mac, as a "budget solution", GraphicConverter actually also support layers and is highly scriptable with many batch features, so there could be an option to convert folders with hundreds of flat image files into one TIFF or PSD with hundreds of layers. I haven't tested it yet, however. (But I will; hold on a minute or two.)

(For the record, I'd love to have scripting support in Affinity as much as the next guy. As long as it's AppleScript, that is. I'm bad at JavaScript…)

[R C-R]

Just now, loukash said:

The question was how "to load all images as layers".

The OP asked why there is "no place" all feature, one that loads files as layers, artboards, or pages. I do not think your method does that.

[slizgi]

Well this method kinda do that, so thanks.

The thing is that I don't want to use Photoshop because I try to move away from Adobe. I like Affinity software a lot, but still time to time I am banging with the head on the wall, cause something kind of obvious to do not work. I can do that in PS and bridge in 5s - what I did. But this is not a solution. Your example with dragging from explorer/finder works - however this is a more obvious way to work from mac than win.

Apple script - do not think so,  because multiplatform.

[loukash]

9 minutes ago, R C-R said:

artboards

1. create a blank Designer document without artboard and make it large enough to see the largest image in full
2. drop all files on the canvas to create Image layers
3. File > Edit in Publisher
4. select all Image layers
5. Layer > Convert to Picture Frame (only available in Publisher, and we'll need this object type, just wait for it)
6. switch to Designer persona (or to Designer, but APu's Designer persona has all the same tools so why bother)
7. select the top layer (which is now a Picture Frame)
8. Layer > Convert Object to Artboard (now available, ha!) unfortunately we can't convert all layers in one go, so:
9. make sure you have handy keyboard shortcuts ready for Convert Object To Artboard, and Select > Select Previous
10. Select Previous
11. Convert Object to Artboard
12. Select Previous
13. Convert Object to Artboard
14. etc.; this can be semi-automated via AppleScript/Automator/Keyboard Maestro and the like, so you'd type just one shortcut and the macro would type those two for you
15. when finished converting picture frames to artboards, use Alignment button > Space horizontally/vertically; align as you see fit

Voilà.

Next up: Pages in Publisher.
Gimme some time to figure it out. (Maybe tomorrow. Wanna watch a movie tonight which I've recorded earlier this week from TV…)

[loukash]

20 minutes ago, slizgi said:

The thing is that I don't want to use Photoshop because I try to move away from Adobe.

We're all in the same boat, I guess.
I'm still working on MacOS El Capitan partition which means that my CS5.5 apps still work quite alright if needed.

22 minutes ago, slizgi said:

I like Affinity software a lot, but still time to time I am banging with the head on the wall

Been there done that, trust me.

22 minutes ago, slizgi said:

cause something kind of obvious to do not work.

What you now call "kind of obvious", in the meantime I call it Schmadobe Brainwash™. We've all been indoctrinated by them for decades. But they are not the "absolute truth".

24 minutes ago, slizgi said:

however this is a more obvious way to work from mac than win.

Fair enough, I don't have much experience with Windows, apart from trying to figure out how to log into my late father's Win7-PCs last year.

27 minutes ago, slizgi said:

Apple script - do not think so,  because multiplatform.

No worries, I'm not holding my breath either way.

[R C-R]

19 minutes ago, loukash said:

2. drop all files on the canvas to create Image layers

Works if none of the files come in as documents (embedded or linked).

21 minutes ago, loukash said:

Next up: Pages in Publisher.
Gimme some time to figure it out.

From a practical standpoint, I think one item per page (or per artboard) isn't going to be all that useful except in a very limited number of workflows. Probably OK for small numbers of items but it does not seem like it would scale well if there are dozens of items to be distributed among many different pages or artboards.

I think for something like that, the data merge method @Old Bruce mentioned seems to be the only way to go.

[loukash]

1 minute ago, R C-R said:

if none of the files come in as documents

PNG is the "format of the day" in this thread.

2 minutes ago, R C-R said:

From a practical standpoint, I think one item per page (or per artboard) isn't going to be all that useful except in a very limited number of workflows.

What do we know.
I'm interested in solutions. Immediate "practical use" notwithstanding. I may not have a use for it now, but I will already have the knowledge and the experience if I should need this workflow tomorrow. Or next year.

15 minutes ago, R C-R said:

the data merge method @Old Bruce mentioned seems to be the only way to go.

Possibly. Haven't checked that yet. (Wanna finally watch the movie now! )

Anyway.

Back on topic:

10 hours ago, slizgi said:

I have many .png, that I would like to merge in one .pdf.

In fact, on Mac, this task is as simple as:

1. open Preview app
2. make sure that Preferences > General > "Open groups of files in the same window" is selected
3. open all your PNGs with Preview (drag&drop, Open dialog, context menu, whatever), all should now be in a single window with a thumbnail column; if not, drop more images into the thumbnail column to add them, or rearrange the column as you see fit
4. File > Print dialog > PDF popup menu > Save As PDF

Voilà.

Can be automated via Automator and saved e.g. as Service plugin.

[v_kyr]

Well, in theory there are a bunch of different automation approaches possible, in practise (...for bulk handling/processing of >= 300 images) the corresponding chosen approach will also highly depend on image sizes, available RAM ... etc. - And since the OP didn't told and nobody asked how huge those images might can be, some of the so far sketched approaches might not be optimal or sufficient at all here then. Thus it always depends ...!

[loukash]

4 minutes ago, v_kyr said:

Thus it always depends

Definitely.
There's also a sweet spot when I'd stop giving away my "best kept secrets" for free and start charging for my services.

[R C-R]

16 hours ago, loukash said:

PNG is the "format of the day" in this thread.

Well, it was until the OP said 

Quote

Place all in photo should
{...}
- if it is file with more layers - also as embedded,

Aside from that, if the envisioned 'place all' feature embeds everything, as @v_kyr mentioned, RAM use may become an issue.

[iconoclast]

During the last years I met a lot of people who had strange ideas of what PDF files are for and what to do with it. Some seem to think that existing PDF files could be a nice and cheap source to extract images and/or text from it (or even fonts) - without even thinking about copyrights and that there are possibly some adjustments made that could make the images and text useless for what they want it for, and so on. Some people even seem to think that PDF is the universal file format to save everything. As a kind of storage format or so. I always tell them then that PDF was primordial made to create printready layout documents that are not meant to be processed or to extract something from it. That was in the beginning one of the big qualities of this file format, because it was a reliable format for both sides - designers and printers - that even prevents them from legal controversies about damaged print-jobs. And even if I advise them to catch up some informations about PDF by themselves (for example from Wikipedia), they obviously prefered to shoot the messenger. So I'll better be quiet. 😄

[slizgi]

20 hours ago, loukash said:

1. create a blank Designer document without artboard and make it large enough to see the largest image in full
2. drop all files on the canvas to create Image layers
3. File > Edit in Publisher
4. select all Image layers
5. Layer > Convert to Picture Frame (only available in Publisher, and we'll need this object type, just wait for it)
6. switch to Designer persona (or to Designer, but APu's Designer persona has all the same tools so why bother)
7. select the top layer (which is now a Picture Frame)
8. Layer > Convert Object to Artboard (now available, ha!) unfortunately we can't convert all layers in one go, so:
9. make sure you have handy keyboard shortcuts ready for Convert Object To Artboard, and Select > Select Previous
10. Select Previous
11. Convert Object to Artboard
12. Select Previous
13. Convert Object to Artboard
14. etc.; this can be semi-automated via AppleScript/Automator/Keyboard Maestro and the like, so you'd type just one shortcut and the macro would type those two for you
15. when finished converting picture frames to artboards, use Alignment button > Space horizontally/vertically; align as you see fit

Voilà.

Next up: Pages in Publisher.
Gimme some time to figure it out. (Maybe tomorrow. Wanna watch a movie tonight which I've recorded earlier this week from TV…)

Great response, will check this out. But you will agree that is kind of a lot of steps and clicking. ☜(ﾟヮﾟ☜)

[slizgi]

20 hours ago, loukash said:

We're all in the same boat, I guess.
I'm still working on MacOS El Capitan partition which means that my CS5.5 apps still work quite alright if needed.

Been there done that, trust me.

What you now call "kind of obvious", in the meantime I call it Schmadobe Brainwash™. We've all been indoctrinated by them for decades. But they are not the "absolute truth".

Fair enough, I don't have much experience with Windows, apart from trying to figure out how to log into my late father's Win7-PCs last year.

No worries, I'm not holding my breath either way.

I just have CS6 photoshop, on latest W10, and it works but... would love to say goodbye to A!

I mean obvious, that I just expected importing multiple files as something trough menu option , you opened my eyes with this "drag and drop" what is way more commonly used in MacOS, it solved most of my issues.

Furthermore, I have the same experience with MacOS, way more in the past with iOS back when they still have headphone jack RIP
 

[slizgi]

20 hours ago, R C-R said:

I think for something like that, the data merge method @Old Bruce mentioned seems to be the only way to go.

Well fair enough, I was to try to use any Affinity App to do a quick and easy merge to pdf.

[slizgi]

20 hours ago, loukash said:

PNG is the "format of the day" in this thread.

In fact, on Mac, this task is as simple as:

1. open Preview app
2. make sure that Preferences > General > "Open groups of files in the same window" is selected
3. open all your PNGs with Preview (drag&drop, Open dialog, context menu, whatever), all should now be in a single window with a thumbnail column; if not, drop more images into the thumbnail column to add them, or rearrange the column as you see fit
4. File > Print dialog > PDF popup menu > Save As PDF

Voilà.

Can be automated via Automator and saved e.g. as Service plugin.

PNG as a representation of single layer gfx file...:)

Yea MacOS in that matter is way better NGL, all that things built in system around GFX stuff.

[slizgi]

6 hours ago, v_kyr said:

Well, in theory there are a bunch of different automation approaches possible, in practise (...for bulk handling/processing of >= 300 images) the corresponding chosen approach will also highly depend on image sizes, available RAM ... etc. - And since the OP didn't told and nobody asked how huge those images might can be, some of the so far sketched approaches might not be optimal or sufficient at all here then. Thus it always depends ...!

Sure there would be a limit in RAM etc. I was asking only about the way and approach to the problem, because I didn't find anything like that in web. And I just suppose to drag the files